Not Alone
by Violinist Hamel
Summary: A CLU/Rinzler one-shot fluff. CLU reflects on some events in the past with Rinzler present.


**AN:** This was presented as a challenge from one of my friends, well, not so much a challenge given as a challenge taken. She mentioned a lack there of and I took it as a challenge so this was born. Small fluff of Rinzler and CLU.

**Warnings:** Should probably have seen the movie before this as there are some spoilers inside.

**Disclaimer:** Tron, CLU, Rinzler and all respected characters are not my property although I wish CLU were All rights reserved to Disney, Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Joseph Kosinski, Steven Lisberger and all parties participated.

_"Flynn! Am I still to create the perfect system?"_ _The words were in the form of a question, however the question was rhetorical. He knew that Flynn would, stupidly make the mistake of telling him yes. That was what he wanted._

_"Yeah...?" Flynn's voice rang in uncertainty, confusion as to why CLU was asking him what he already knew. He was created for perfection after all and that was what he was seeking. _

_Smiling to himself, he backed away, Black Guard coming from behind him and from several areas from the streets to surround Flynn and Tron the security program brought from the Encom old system to this newer one. Tron fought bravely, a wrench in the plan indeed. He was not expecting his Black Guard to fail him so much to get derezzed by the hands of Tron. However, he kept the smile to his face, he would not falter it. Tron managed to destroy one of his guard, obtaining another disc and he turned to face the others, Tron yelled for Flynn to leave and he tried, but CLU was already on him, knocking him down with a swift kick before Tron tackled him, wrestling him and yelling once more for Flynn to leave. _

_It was too late for Tron, he wasn't going to make it. Too bad for him, CLU really enjoyed the company of the program, they had a lot of different opinions but he was very dependable, always willing to help when needed. CLU punched him in the face, knocking him back and flipping him over, he held his disc high above him. Too bad for him he wouldn't make it through this-but then he had an idea. Striking down the disc, he hit him, cutting a portion inside him, just enough to immobilize the program. He had a wonderfully devious idea. _

Cycles passed since Flynn fled to the outlands, somewhere, he was not sure where exactly and he more or less did not care at this point in time. Things would have been different had Flynn seen his point of view, if he had only listened to him. Together they could have created the perfect system and Flynn would still be here by his side. Tron... Tron was gone. There were rumors as to his disappearance and how he died, some of them not as pretty as others, some of them heroic some of them pin Tron as being a traitor and in a way he was. He fought against CLU, the System Administrator and therefore he was a traitor to the system but now...

CLU looked over at Rinzler from behind the large black desk in his office. Jarvis was talking about a few things that needed attention and he half paid attention to the reports. So far, everything was going well in the System. The ISOs would soon be eliminated from his Grid, yes, _his_ Grid. Flynn had abandoned them. He would have thought the Creator would have came back and while he had started a small resistance against him, CLU's army was much stronger than a few stray programs that tried to throw a thorn in his path.

"... Sector 9 is in need of a few modifications specifically in the..."

He looked out of the window absently and back over at Rinzler, his greatest accomplishment. None of his Black Guard could compare to him. Fierce, strong, willing to do anything that CLU commanded without hesitation. He was ruthless and he loved it. At first CLU was only amused by him, payback for the traitor, he fought against him and now look at him-he fought for him. Ironic? He thought so. Where was Flynn to see this?

"-and while I would hope and, assume that progress on the small issue we are having with the Grid Bugs improves-"

"Once the ISOs are completely eliminated from _**my **_system, the bugs should disappear along with them." CLU sighed into his hand as he used it to hold his head up and slightly look over at Jarvis. "What else needs approval? I believe you can work out the modifications on your own, you have my permission to make those changes as you see fit. If it is done wrong, you can redo them."

Jarvis did not blink but only nodded. "I will leave this here then for you to look over, I am sorry for disturbing you with such trivial matters."

Nodding to him, CLU waved his assistant out of his office after he set the pad down onto his desk. He was not bothering him entirely but he did have a lot on his mind. It had been 235.5 cycles since Flynn abandoned them and left. 235.5 cycles that CLU had taken the liberty of _attempting_ to integrate the ISOs into his system. With the destruction of the Sea of Simulation, no more ISOs could get through, a good thing for him and the Grid, it meant they could not take up more space. He smiled, the entire plan was brilliant, he knew now that Tron had caught him in his scheme and yet... he did not say anything. He wondered why that was. It was too bad he could not search that disc as thoroughly as he liked, seeing what was really going on inside that program.

Rinzler's head turned slightly to look over at him, the slight noise he produced sounding out into the silence of the office. At first, he thought something was wrong with Rinzler when he heard that noise emitting from him but now, it was more of a comfort. A reminder of the past that made him smile, even if he was reminded of that time when he fought back. Was Tron really ever loyal to him? Rinzler was, but that was because CLU repurposed him to be that way. It was not easy to do so; his firewalls and protection were unlike any of the other programs. Tron was special; Tron was Flynn's best friend after all. Why? Was he not good enough to be Tron's friend? What of Flynn? He thought they both were really close Flynn _created him_ after all. Of course Flynn would consider his own creation closer to him than a program created by another user.

Was... there really something wrong with him? He stood up and walked over towards the large windows that overlooked the city. It was always in the back of his mind. Was there something wrong with him that both Flynn and Tron would forsake him and turn away? Looking over, Rinzler stood where he was, unmoving, at ease and only slightly looked over at him.

Pressing his brows together in a slight sigh, he whispered, "is there something wrong with me?" Rinzler turned to look at him, silent as always but words were not needed. CLU walked over to him, looking at him straight into his red-orange eyes. "Is there something wrong with me? That you didn't want to be by my side Tron?"

Rinzler's face twisted in confusion he was not aware of what CLU was asking, Tron was no longer alive. CLU kept forgetting that. No... He did not, he just kept seeing him as Tron. That face, when he looked at him he was not Rinzler but Tron. "I forget... you are not him." He put his hands to the others shoulders and leaned his forehead against one.

"You are not Tron... You are Rinzler, my ruthless enforcer." Even then, the only noise that could be heard through the office was the small-distorted noise produced by Rinzler. CLU wrapped his arms around the others neck and held him closely. He was not going to lose Rinzler as he did Tron and Flynn. Rinzler belonged to him. No one could take him away. He was his friend, his confidant. Jarvis was there for him as well but he did not feel the same way for Jarvis as he did Rinzler. A much deeper rooted feeling for the enforcer than he had for Jarvis. A sense of familiarity on his face, a sense of comfort in his presence and he could not help but reminisce the old days even if they filled him with grief and questions of why.

"I am Rinzler." he heard the other state as if he did not already know that.

CLU nodded in his shoulder, "yes... you are." leaning up to look at him again, Rinzler was expressionless as ever.

"Your enforcer." Again, CLU nodded when Rinzler spoke. He did not speak often but he had a feeling Rinzler was a bit agitated at being compared to Tron. He could not be compared, Rinzler was much more efficient than Tron ever was.

Smiling, CLU ran a hand up Rinzler's neck, "you are, the _very best_ enforcer." He leaned forward, but not to his shoulder, this time he slowly closed the distance between him and Rinzler, his lips barely touching the others and he could feel the programs breath on his own. "Perfect..." _if not for that noise._ Closing the distance, he took the others lips into his own. It was a gesture he had learned about from Flynn a long time ago, a meaningful gesture to show appreciation and to show that one cared deeply for another. He did care deeply for Rinzler, he was by his side now loyal and faithful to serve him. What more could he possibly ask of him other than that burning question of wanting to know why both Tron and Flynn abandoned him. He pressed himself more onto the program, causing him to fall back to the glass. The answers to his questions would probably never be answered but for now, for this moment, he did not care.


End file.
